Martial arts garment with stretch panels

ABSTRACT

A martial arts garment, such as a Gi, has an upper body, jacket garment, and a lower body, pants garment. The jacket garment has stretch panels of a stretchable fabric material that are incorporated into the garment construction locations of high-stretch regions of the garment. The stretch panels reduce the restriction of a wearer&#39;s movement. The pants garment has a crotch panel that is of a stretchable fabric material to reduce restriction of a wearer&#39;s movement.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/310,161, filed Feb. 15, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to martial arts garments and, more particularly, relates to a martial arts garment or Gi having a construction that incorporates stretch panels in high stretch regions to reduce restriction against user movement while wearing the garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Martial arts involve vigorous, dynamic movements that benefit from unrestricted motion. Existing martial arts garments can be restrictive and prevent a wearer from a full range of vigorous, dynamic movement. Accordingly, there is a need for a martial arts garment that is constructed in a way that does not restrict wearer motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide a new martial arts garment, such as a Gi, that has a specific and strategic construction that incorporates slits or openings in the garment at high stretch locations. These slits or openings are filled or assembled with a stretchable fabric material, thereby reducing restriction against a wearer's motion while wearing the garment.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included to provide further understanding of the invention for the purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a martial arts garment constructed in accordance with the principles of at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an upper garment of a martial arts garment constructed in accordance with the principles of at least one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic back view of an upper garment of a martial arts garment constructed in accordance with the principles of at least one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the various views, and with reference to FIGS. 1-3 , a martials arts garment or Gi that is constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at 10. The garment 10 is specifically and strategically constructed to reduce restriction against a wearer's movement or motion in high stretch regions of the garment.

As shown, the garment 10 includes an upper garment 12 and a lower, pants garment 14. The upper garment 12 is configured to be worn on the torse of a wearer and the pants garment 14 is to configure to be worn on the lower body of a wearer just like traditional martials garments.

The upper garment 12 has an upper garment body 16 formed of a plurality of fabric sections that are assembled to form a front 18, a back 20, opposing sides 22 and 24, and a pair of sleeves 26. The upper garment body 16 has a first underarm region 28 having a first underarm opening 30 and a second underarm region 32 having a second underarm opening 34. Fabric sections or panels 36 and 38 are assembled with the underarm openings 30 and 34 and are gusset like. The fabric sections 36 and 38 are formed of a stretchable or elastic material, allowing the garment body 16 to stretch in the underarm regions 28 and 32 to reduce restriction on the wearer's movement. The stretchable material can be of any desired fabric material that has an elastic-like characteristic that allows stretching but then returns unstretched. One such material can be Lycra or elastane, for example.

The garment body 16 further includes first and second back slits 40 and 42 formed in the back 20. Each back slit 40 and 42 extends vertically between a bottom and a top of the body garment 16 and are located on opposite sides of a vertical center line 44 of the back 20. Fabric sections or panels 46 and 48 are assembled with the back slits 40 and 42 and are gusset like. The fabric sections 46 and 48 are formed of a stretchable or elastic material, allowing the garment body 16 to stretch along the back to reduce restriction on the wearer's movement.

The garment body 16 further includes a first shoulder slit 50 extending horizontally along a first shoulder region 52 and a second shoulder slit 54 extending horizontally along a second shoulder region 56. The shoulder slits 50 and 54 are on the back 20 and on opposite sides of the vertical center line 44 thereof. Fabric sections or panels 58 and 60 are assembled with the shoulder slits 50 and 54 and are gusset like. The fabric sections 58 and 60 are formed of a stretchable or elastic material, allowing the garment body 16 to stretch along the shoulder regions to reduce restriction on the wearer's movement.

The pants garment 14 has a pants garment body 62 formed of a plurality of fabric sections that are assembled to form a front 64, a back (opposite of the front), opposing sides 66 and 68, and a pair of legs 70, the pants garment body has a crotch region fabric section 72 that is of a stretch material. The fabric section 72 allows the garment body 62 to stretch in the pelvic or crotch region to reduce restriction on the wearer's movement.

The stretchable material can be of any desired fabric material that has an elastic-like characteristic that allows stretching but then returns unstretched. One such material can be Lycra or elastane, for example.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the foregoing description is made in reference to martial arts garments, the garment construction could be used in other garments. 

1. A martial arts garment comprising: an upper garment configured to be worn on the torso of a wearer; the upper garment having an upper garment body formed of a plurality of fabric sections assembled together to form a front, a back, opposing sides, and a pair of sleeves, the upper garment body having a first underarm region having a first underarm opening, a second underarm region having a second underarm opening, first and second back slits formed in the back thereof that extending vertically between a bottom and a top of the upper body garment and on opposite of a vertical center of the back, a first shoulder region having a first shoulder slit extending horizontally along the first shoulder region, and a second shoulder region having a second shoulder slit extending horizontally along the first shoulder region; the upper garment further having a first fabric section that is assembled with the first underarm opening, a second fabric section that is assembled with the second underarm opening, a third fabric section that is assembled with the first back slit, a fourth fabric section that is assembled with the second back slit, a fifth fabric section that is assembled with the first shoulder slit, and a sixth fabric section that is assembled with the second shoulder slit; wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth baric sections are of a stretch material; a pants garment configured to be worn on the lower body of a wearer; and the pants garment having a pants garment body formed of a plurality of fabric sections assembled together to form a front, a back, opposing sides, and a pair of legs, the pants garment body having a crotch region fabric section that is of a stretch material.
 2. The martial arts garment of claim 1, wherein the stretch material of at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth fabric sections and the crotch region fabric section is a lycra material.
 3. A martial arts garment comprising: an upper garment configured to be worn on the torso of a wearer; the upper garment having an upper garment body formed of a plurality of fabric sections assembled together to form a front, a back, opposing sides, and a pair of sleeves, the upper garment body having a first underarm region having a first underarm opening, a second underarm region having a second underarm opening, first and second back slits formed in the back thereof that extending vertically between a bottom and a top of the upper body garment and on opposite of a vertical center of the back, a first shoulder region having a first shoulder slit extending horizontally along the first shoulder region, and a second shoulder region having a second shoulder slit extending horizontally along the first shoulder region; the upper garment further having a first fabric section that is assembled with the first underarm opening, a second fabric section that is assembled with the second underarm opening, a third fabric section that is assembled with the first back slit, a fourth fabric section that is assembled with the second back slit, a fifth fabric section that is assembled with the first shoulder slit, and a sixth fabric section that is assembled with the second shoulder slit; and wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth baric sections are of a stretch material.
 4. The martial arts garment of claim 3, wherein the stretch material of at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth fabric sections and the crotch region fabric section is a lycra material. 